


I Only Want You to See Me

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Denial of Feelings, Drinking, Exhibitionism, Feelings Realization, Idiots in Love, M/M, Masturbation, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-06-23 22:03:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19710343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: Rhett catches Link jerking off a few too many times before realizing he's doing it on purpose, that Link wants to be seen. And because Rhett is such a good bro, he agrees to watch.





	1. Caught

**Author's Note:**

> I started a new ficlet and a part of it was supposed to be a small flashback scene about the boys in college. Well, that original ficlet is now scrapped and I have this. Enjoy!

Rhett caught Link jerking off a few too many times on their dorm room couch before he started to suspect that Link was doing it on purpose, that he deliberately chose times when he knew Rhett would be coming back to their room. After the idea had popped into Rhett’s mind, he couldn’t get rid of it. It gnawed at him. It seemed totally ridiculous a first. Why would Link do that? But there was already a mountain of evidence to support his hypothesis. Despite his growing suspicion, Rhett turned the thought around in his head for a good long while before doing anything about it.

One Wednesday night, he purposefully mentioned to Link in passing that he’d be back from study group around eight. Link didn’t seem to react in any way. He was buried amongst a pile of textbooks and notes when Rhett left the room. So, Rhett didn’t expect anything to happen that night but, lo and behold, when he returned to their room, Link was sitting on their couch, bare legs spread wide, fucking his own fist.

Link jumped when Rhett slammed the door closed behind him. He paused the video he’d been watching and scrambled to pull up his pants.

“Ha!” Rhett exclaimed with a pointed finger. He felt strangely vindicated. Link scowled at him.

“Maybe knock first,” he huffed. Rhett cocked an eyebrow at him. Link got up.

“Knock? On my own door? I don’t think so, bo. Sit your ass back down. We’re gonna talk about this thing you’ve been doing.”

“What thing? I’m not doing anything,” Link muttered but sat down as instructed. Rhett threw his backpack on his bed and paced around the room. He hadn’t thought about how to approach this subject. He probably should have. It wasn’t exactly a casual talk about favorite movie quotes or about classes. What could he say?

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” he finally stated, deciding that going at it head-on was the best option. Link’s eyes grew wide, and Rhett saw a flash of fear in them. Link shook his head desperately.

“That’s ridiculous! Do you even hear yourself? Why the heck would I do that? You think I wanna get caught?” Link babbled, wringing his hands in his lap. Rhett stopped pacing and looked at him.

“Yeah. That’s exactly what I think. What is going on?”

“Nothing! Nothing is going on. You’re the one barging in on me all the time. Maybe it’s you! Maybe you want to catch a peek,” Link said, trying to turn it on Rhett. Rhett scoffed at him, rolled his eyes, and said, “Really? That’s so weak, man.” 

Link’s mouth turned into a pout, and he sank into a slouch. Rhett looked at him for a moment, feeling his annoyance slowly slip away. What was left was pure worry born out of years of friendship - something that could only come from sharing your life with someone like they had, and if he was totally honest with himself, sharing a part of your soul, too. Rhett crouched next to Link and tried to catch his eye.

“Hey. I’m your best friend. You can tell me anything. I won’t judge, I promise.”

Link turned his head away, and there was an unmistakable wobble in his chin. Rhett’s stomach tightened. _Oh God, please don’t cry. I can’t take it when you cry._

“Hey. Come on, Linkster. Tell your boy what’s going on,” Rhett coaxed him still. Link took a deep breath and tensed his shoulders.

“I like it,” he said with a shaky whisper.

“Hm?” Rhett prompted.

“I like… I like the idea of someone watching me. When I touch myself,” Link continued, cheeks flushing red and voice cracking slightly. He turned to look at Rhett, eyes glistening, and his lower lip protruding. “I’m a freak! I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll stop.” He tried to get up. Rhett grabbed his arm and sat him back down.

“Stop. Stop that right now. You think I care? Really? You think it matters to me what you get off on? Because it doesn’t. I still love you… like a brother,” he added at the end because that’s what they always did. “You’re not a freak. You just have a… what are they called? A fetish?”

“That’s a horrible word,” Link whispered, shuddering.

“A preference?” Rhett offered. Link nodded slowly, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

“Are you sure you’re not disgusted?” he asked, eyes intently looking for clues on Rhett’s face. Rhett let out a huff of a laugh.

“I am so not. We all have our things. It’s normal. It's just... I don’t appreciate you using me like that.”

“I’m so sorry! I- What else can I do? I can’t go out there and make some stranger look at me! That’s like… a crime,” Link said, looking horrified at the thought. Rhett shook his head.

“Of course, not. But wouldn’t it have been easier to just ask me?” Rhett asked. Link scowled at him. He crossed his arms across his chest.

“And what? You would have been like ‘sure bo, I’ll watch you jack off’?” he snapped. Rhett looked at him almost confused.

“Yeah.”

Link’s eyes widened, and his mouth popped open.

“Really?” he asked voice small and adorably hopeful.

“I mean, I’m not gonna participate! But if it helps you to get yourself off, I can watch. That’s what blood brothers are for, right?” Rhett said. 

He really didn’t care. He’d seen Link’s dick many times. So what if he had to watch him tug on it for a bit. Didn’t seem like such a big deal. And, honestly, Rhett was kind of relieved that this was Link’s thing. For a while there, he’d been worried that Link might have developed some _feelings_ for him.

Link looked like he was about to cry from happiness. He launched himself from the couch and hugged Rhett so tight they almost fell on the floor.

“Hey! None of this shit while it’s happening, okay? No touching. I’m merely an observer. Like one of those nature documentary cameramen. I can’t interfere,” Rhett said, voice stern. There were certain lines he wasn’t going to cross.

“Of course,” Link breathed, all giddy and appreciative. “You, um… can we do it right now?” he asked hesitantly. Rhett shrugged.

“Sure. Why not? You were already going at it. Would be rude to leave you with blue balls.”

Link smiled wide and hopped back on the couch. Rhett pulled up a desk chair and sat across from him.

“This okay?” he asked Link. Link bit his lip and nodded. He motioned towards the TV, where a porn scene was paused.

“Can I…?” he asked.

“Of course. I’m not expecting you to look at me!” Rhett laughed. Link laughed too, and the tension that had clouded the room while they talked dissipated a bit. Link pressed play. Rhett turned to watch the scene for a bit. It was pretty basic stuff, something he’d get off on, as well. He turned back towards his best friend. Link was looking at the TV, his eyes periodically flitting to Rhett. Rhett tried to relax in his seat. He leaned back and crossed his arms. Link was sitting still, hands on his knees, gnawing at his lip. Rhett waited. The room was filled with sounds of sex. The whole situation was starting to become a bit too strange. 

“You gonna get going or what?” Rhett blurted out. Link frowned at him.

“Maybe you should just be quiet,” he said with a snap. “And yeah, I’m gonna. Just. Give me a minute.”

“Fine. I just don’t want this to take all night,” Rhett said, yawning. It was already late, and he still had assignments to do for tomorrow. Link huffed annoyed but moved to open his jeans and wiggled his bottom to lower them to his knees. He glanced at Rhett as he did the same to his boxer briefs. He was sporting a semi. It lay swollen and red against his thigh. Rhett’s eyes automatically trained on it. He couldn’t help it. When someone was showing their dick, you looked at it, even if you didn’t want to. It was a given.

Link’s tongue slipped quickly out of his mouth to lick his lips, and he reached for the lotion on the coffee table. Soon, he was holding onto his lotion-slicked cock and moving his hand slowly. His eyes were mostly on the porn, but once in a while, they trailed back to Rhett - like he was making sure that he was still being watched. The look on his face was dreamy, lids half-closed and mouth hanging slightly open.

“You’re a leftie?” Rhett suddenly realized. Link jumped, startled by the sudden sound. He sighed, and his hand stilled for a moment. “Rhett, please.”

“Sorry!” Rhett said, lifting his hands in apology. “Just thought it was interesting…”

“If you keep talking, we’re gonna be here all night,” Link said with a hint of a scowl. Rhett grimaced and motioned, locking his lips and throwing away the key. Link looked at him for a moment with his eyebrows threaded together before concentrating on the TV again. His hand stroked his cock slowly but surely.

Rhett tried to keep a relatively uninterested look on his face, but it was surprisingly difficult. He was actually kind of fascinated. Link was so much bigger than he’d thought. He’d never seen him like this, at full attention. And the way he touched himself… It was so different. Not at all, what Rhett did. For him, it was always something to get over with: a way to release tension. Obviously, he enjoyed it - it did feel good after all - but he never reveled in it like Link seemed to. Link’s movements were fluid but slow, almost languid. He changed his hand position periodically, sighing every time he did it like he’d been keeping himself waiting, and the change was just the thing he needed. His other hand was not still either. It moved on his body, cradled his balls, caressed his stomach and chest, gently tugged on his hair, and he even slipped his fingers into his mouth every so often. He seemed to be totally enthralled with himself. And honestly, so was Rhett.

Rhett shifted in his seat. He realized he was getting hard. That was unexpected. He quickly chalked it up to the porn playing next to him. That had to be it. He was definitely not getting aroused by his best friend pleasuring himself. Rhett crossed his legs and pressed his growing length between his thighs, almost letting a small moan slip from his lips. The pressure was too sweet. Rhett’s eyes flitted to Link. He seemed to be totally oblivious to Rhett’s predicament. His eyes were closed, and he’d thrown his head back. At some point, he’d lifted his shirt up and over his head to reveal his chest and stomach, presumably not to get it dirty. Rhett tried to steady his breathing. It was getting increasingly ragged. _Fuck._ He really needed to touch himself.

Link’s hand movements were getting quicker and jerkier, and he breathed almost in sync with Rhett’s erratic rhythm. Rhett was so hypnotized by Link’s movements that while totally expected, what happened next still took him by surprise. Suddenly, Link drew a sharp breath, groaned, and then his hand slowed to a deliberate pumping motion. Long, pearly-white strands of cum painted his chest. Rhett’s eyes shot wide open, and his palm involuntarily pressed on his crotch. A small whine escaped him. Thankfully, Link was so wrapped up in his own release he seemed to have not noticed. Rhett quickly shifted his erection to blend it better into his pant leg and then uncrossed his legs.

“Can I talk now?” he asked. Link’s lids flitted open. He looked at Rhett smiling a small goofy smile. His head bobbed to a nod.

“Was that what you wanted?” Rhett confirmed. He got a breathy “yeah” as an answer.

“Good. Took you long enough. I’m gonna go shower.” Rhett snatched his towel and some clean clothes and basically ran from the room. He was so close to coming that even the friction from his pants as he walked was making him squirm and gasp. Thankfully, the hallway was empty. He rushed to the shower stall and relieved himself under the warm running water. He barely needed to touch himself before he was already coming all over the tile wall. He came harder than ever before. His forehead thumped against the wall, and he bit his lip until it bled, to quell his moans. He definitely was not thinking about Link orgasming as he came.

When he got back to the room, the TV screen was dark, and there were two peanut butter and jam sandwiches on the counter for him. Link was already eating. Rhett sat next to him.

“Thanks,” Rhett said, trying to sound normal. Because everything was normal, right? Link mumbled an almost unintelligible “you’re welcome” and smiled. He’d already gotten some jam on his cheek. Rhett snorted. 

“You’re such a pig,” he said, shaking his head with a smirk.

“Wha?” Link asked, confused. Rhett pointed at him. “You got a little…” Link kept wiping at his face, managing to touch everywhere else but where it counted. Rhett kept pointing and laughing. Link huffed, annoyed. Rhett laughed until his stomach hurt. Link rolled his eyes at him and finally caught the red dollop on his finger. 

“Ha!” he announced and promptly stuck his finger into his mouth. Rhett’s dick twitched curiously at the sight of it. _Fuck._


	2. Intoxicated

Rhett had basically dragged Link to the party.

“It’s a Saturday night! What self-respecting college students stay home on a Saturday night?” he’d asked Link, standing in the middle of their room with his arms spread wide open. Link had laughed at his bravado but shook his head.

“I really need to get started on these assignments. I don’t want to spend all day tomorrow on them,” he’d said and turned back towards his desk. Rhett’s hands had settled on his shoulders and spun him around.

“No! We’re going to a party. Come on, Linkypoo. There’s gonna be pretty girls. And free booze,” Rhett had coaxed.

Rhett had gotten his way in the end, and now they were stepping inside an unfamiliar dorm. A barrage of sensory input hit them. There were at least three different styles of music warring against each other, laughter and screaming; there were people in the dorm rooms, spilling out in the hallways; there were flashing lights and, to top it all off, everything smelled slightly sweaty and sweet. It was the scent of youth and freedom and promise, and it was intoxicating to Rhett. He was tugging Link along towards one of the open doors.

“This should be James and the other guys' room,” he said. He’d been invited by some class buddies. He didn’t even really know them, not that well anyway, but he’d clung onto the invitation. This was precisely what he needed. He was a man on a mission. A mission to get drunk and find someone willing to disappear into one of those unlit rooms with him. They greeted Rhett’s buddies and got some beers.

“Wanna do a lap?” Rhett asked Link. It was so loud he had to lean and talk right against his ear. Someone bumped into them as he did, and Rhett’s lips brushed against Link’s skin. Rhett’s head snapped back up, and he felt his cheeks flushing. It was the beer, though, he decided.

“I guess,” Link said slowly, looking around. They walked back to the hallway and worked their way through the rooms. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and they were, more often than not, greeted like long lost friends, even though they knew no one. Their beers ran out quickly, and they picked up new ones and new ones after that. A petite brunette with blue eyes caught Rhett’s attention as they stepped into one of the rooms at the end of the hallway.

“Imma go talk to her,” Rhett said to Link, nudging his side. Link glanced at the girl, nodded appreciatively and smiled.

“Good luck, brother. I’m gonna walk around. Maybe get another beer.”

Rhett nodded and walked up to the girl like he knew her. Confidence was key, he always said. She smiled sweetly and seemed entertained enough by Rhett’s banter. Her name was Maddy, and soon, Rhett was roped into a beer pong match as her partner. Link popped back into the room and cheered on for a while, but disappeared again while Rhett was momentarily distracted by a victory hug from Maddy.

Rhett’s head was spinning delightfully, and Maddy’s hand was soft and warm as she pulled him after her out of the room and into the next one - one with dimmed lighting and other couples already engaged in enriching their college experience. Rhett was unceremoniously plopped onto a couch, and Maddy climbed on his lap. Rhett cheered in his mind as soft lips pressed onto his. _Mission accomplished._ Rhett kissed her eagerly, ready to get turned on by someone actually suitable for him. Not that he’d been getting turned on by someone unsuitable. He definitely had not been thinking about Link since that night. And even if he sometimes accidentally had, he most definitely had not been jerking off to the memory. Rhett mentally shook his head. _Concentrate on the hot girl, you dumbass!_ Maddy was a decent kisser, maybe a bit too much into biting for Rhett’s liking, but, hey, you take what you can get. Especially right now.

Rhett tried to concentrate on the silky skin under his palms, on the long hair wrapping around his fingers, on the lips exploring his neck. He really tried. But his brain was not having any of it. Everything reminded him of Link. Maddy’s hands pressed against his chest, and all he could think about was Link touching his own. Maddy tugging his hair to turn his head, reminded him of how Link had done just that to himself. Rhett’s fingers raked Maddy’s scalp and did a small exploratory tug. Maddy squeaked, “I don’t like that.” “Sorry,” Rhett muttered and let go. He wondered what Link would say if he did that to him. Rhett imagined he would like it. At least, he had seemed to enjoy it tremendously when he did it to himself. Rhett imagined tugging at Link's hair and him whimpering with pleasure. The thought made him swell up in his pants. _Dang it!_

Rhett tried harder. His hands traveled all over Maddy's body and stopped to squeeze and caress appropriately. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and he even moaned a bit to try it out. He was getting barely anything out of it. Maddy seemed to be enjoying herself, though. She made little gasps and writhed in Rhett’s lap. Her hands were moving under Rhett’s shirt and edging closer and closer to his waistband. Rhett thought of Link. He thought of Link pulling his pants down - that little wiggle his butt did to get himself free of the fabric. He thought of Link’s dick hanging heavy between his legs, glistening with lotion. Rhett bit his lip to quell the moan that threatened to escape him. It seemed almost sacrilegious to moan thinking of Link while a perfectly nice girl was grinding against him.

“You wanna go somewhere more private?” Maddy whispered enticingly into his ear. “My roommate is out tonight.”

 _Yes. Do it! Rid your stupid brain of him._ But instead, he said, “Um… Thanks, but I gotta go.” He lifted Maddy off of him. “Sorry. I had a nice time. You’re lovely,” he said before hurrying out of the room. She was left sitting on the couch, looking flabbergasted. Rhett paid no mind to her anymore; he needed to find Link. He needed to get home and get to bed and…

“Rhettttt!” Link’s giggly voice boomed from behind him. Rhett whipped around and saw his best friend leaning against a door while a pretty blonde was sucking on his neck. Link still had a beer in his hand, and the other was wrapped around the girl’s waist.

“Oh, hey. Um… I’m tired. I’m gonna go,” Rhett said and quickly turned away. He was feeling… he wasn’t exactly sure what he was feeling. Probably the alcohol. His head was spinning, and something was making his stomach turn. He was already outside when Link caught up to him.

“Wait!” he hollered from the door. Rhett turned to look back but kept walking. Link was jogging up to him, with a surprisingly steady step, considering how intoxicated he’d seemed just a moment ago.

“You don’t have to come with me. Looked like you were in the middle of something,” Rhett said. He tried to smirk, but it came off more as a grimace.

“Nah. She wasn’t that great. Too much tongue. Rather go home with you,” Link said, smiling jovially as he matched Rhett’s pace. A pool of heat settled into the bottom of Rhett’s belly. _Rather go home with you._ Why did those words make him so happy?

“Okay,” he said, smiling. “Should we get something to eat on the way?”

“Definitely!”

\---

They got back to their dorm with half-finished bags of fries and milkshakes. Link was giggling to something stupid he’d said. Rhett kept staring at his lips. He had such pretty lips. How had Rhett not noticed before? The soft pink color and the sharp incline of his Cupid’s bow; they had to be the most perfectly kissable lips Rhett had ever seen. _Wow, I must be really drunk. I’m thinking nonsense._ Rhett laughed out loud.

“Right?!” Link exclaimed, thinking Rhett was taking part in his mirth. Rhett nodded to him.

“Yeah,” he said, not really knowing what he agreed with. Link dropped his food on the coffee table and jumped onto Rhett’s bed. Rhett frowned at him out of habit. He didn’t actually care. _Link can crawl into my bed anytime he wants..._ The direction that thought was going scared Rhett a bit, and he sat on the couch trying very hard to concentrate on his fries. Link stretched his hands over his head and pointed his toes. A groan of pleasure slipped from his lips as he pulled his muscles taut and then relaxed them. A shiver ran down Rhett’s spine.

“Gosh. Why is it so hot in here?” Link muttered and yanked his shirt off. He dropped it over his head, on Rhett’s pillow and sighed contently.

“You’re just drunk,” Rhett answered absentmindedly. His eyes were trained on Link’s hands. Link’s fingers were drawing lazy circles on his chest and stomach. Rhett swallowed. His neck was on fire, and his belly was filling with coiling heat. _I should’ve gone with the girl. Why didn’t I go with her?_

Link’s eyes were closed, and he kept touching himself, his fingers slowly moving closer and closer to his crotch. Rhett had trouble breathing. He forced his eyes away from Link and slurped his milkshake. It was cold and chocolaty and _oh my God, if I kissed Link now, this is what he would taste like…_

“Rhett?” Link’s voice drifted from his bed. There was a new edge to it that made the heat in Rhett’s belly solidify and burn hotter.

“Yeah?” he asked, trying to keep his voice level. His gaze flitted to Link. There was an unmistakable bulge in his pants. The sight of it made Rhett’s heart race. Link turned his head towards Rhett and opened his eyes. His gaze was too intense, Rhett had to turn away.

“I really wanna… Can I touch myself?” Link’s voice was drawling, and he sounded needy and breathless. Rhett paused. He didn’t want to look too eager.

“Sure. Go ahead,” he finally said with a sigh, hoping to convey that it was okay but an inconvenience. Link immediately pressed his palm on his still clothed cock and moaned aloud. Rhett jerked at the sound, and his neck almost snapped as he turned to look at Link. Link hadn’t been this vocal the first time. Link’s eyes were closed, and he kept palming himself eagerly. His hips rose from the bed to seek more purchase. Rhett stared at him, a fry in hand, mouth hanging open, pants straining from his own arousal.

Link popped his pants open and slipped them down just enough to release his cock but not so much that his bare ass would touch Rhett’s covers. If Rhett hadn’t been so turned on, he might have appreciated that. Now he didn’t think anything, he just greedily stared at Link touching himself.

“Can you pass me the lotion?” Link moaned after a minute or two. His head turned again, and he looked at Rhett, eyes half-lidded, gaze unfocused. Rhett sighed again, feigning annoyance and got up. He brushed his salty fingers on his pants, checking that his erection was safely tucked out of view and picked up the lotion bottle. He walked up to the bed and gave it to Link. Link took it with a thankful nod and squirted some straight on his dick. Rhett was about to go back to the couch when Link asked quietly, “Can you stay there?”

Rhett stopped and bit his lip. Could he stand here, hovering over Link without him noticing his erection? 

“I don’t know,” Rhett said slowly, trying to think. “It feels a bit… intimate. Maybe if you keep your eyes closed?”

Link nodded excitedly and his eyes closed tightly. “Yeah, okay. Just don’t move, okay?” 

Rhett braced his hand against the top bunk and hung his head between his arms. Link was laid out in front of him, slicking the lotion all over his cock, already breathing raggedly. His other hand was doing its own journey again, making Rhett wonder how it would feel against his skin. Link’s delicate fingers found his nipple and twisted it in a way that looked too painful to Rhett, but Link only hummed contently. He repeated the gesture to his other nipple and kept brushing his fingers over the reddened buds. Rhett’s jaw slacked, and he actually had to wipe out a dribble of saliva from the corner of his mouth. Link was achingly gorgeous like this. 

“You still there?” Link whispered. Rhett would have been sure Link could hear his heavy breathing but apparently not.

“Yeah. Right here. Watching you,” he murmured, making Link buck wildly into his own hand and whine. Rhett’s knees almost buckled. His hands grabbed harder onto the edge of Link’s bed, and his knuckles turned white from the effort to hold on.

Link was so vocal. It was probably the alcohol running through his veins, making him lose his inhibitions, but Rhett didn’t mind in the slightest. Every one of Link’s moans, whispers and sighs went straight to Rhett’s dick, and he started to worry he might just come untouched in his pants. He throbbed. He craved to be touched. An image of Link slipping off the bed, getting on his knees, yanking down Rhett’s pants, and putting his mouth on Rhett slipped into his mind. Rhett bit his lip and forced the thought away. 

Link was far gone already. His hips repeatedly rose as he fucked his hand. It was almost a blur on his cock. He was gonna come soon. This time, Rhett saw it coming a mile away. It was evident in the way Link's hand moved, the way his mouth fell open in a silent scream, the way his bottom lip quivered. Rhett waited eagerly. _Come on. Come for me._

“Come on.” The words slipped out. Link’s eyes shot open. Rhett felt a faint blush kiss his cheeks and desperately hoped that Link couldn’t see it.

“Yeah? Wanna see me come?” Link mumbled lewdly, staring straight into Rhett’s eyes. He looked wrecked. His eyes were glazed both from the intoxication and the self-love. He panted audibly.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” Rhett scoffed, trying to save face. “Nah, man. I just wanna get back to my food.”

Link laughed and closed his eyes. After a round of tugs and pulls and obscene moaning, his whole body went rigid, and he groaned loudly. Rhett stared as Link’s fingers became coated with cum, and he kept pumping and whining. Rhett’s entire body was trembling. He was hurting. He was so hard he was literally in pain. Link’s hand loosened its grip and fell onto his stomach.

“Don’t you dare wipe that on my sheets,” Rhett said with a growl. The arousal was making him sound mad. Link opened one eye and pouted.

“I wasn’t gonna. Can you give me a tissue?”

Rhett moved to get one, happy to get away from him. He needed space. He needed a cold shower. He needed to strip Link naked and fuck him into the mattress until he was screaming Rhett’s name. Rhett shivered at the thought. What he probably needed was a goddamn exorcist. He had to be possessed by something to think about these dirty things about his best friend. He didn’t actually want Link. He was just… confused. Horny and confused. _I really should’ve gone with Maddy._

“Here,” Rhett said and threw the tissue on Link’s stomach. He went back to his fries, trying to think of anything and everything that could get the throbbing in his pants to settle. He had to get laid. Like right now. Before he went loopy and did something he couldn’t take back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you have a life and better things to do with your time, sassandpanache. I'm sorry I keep starting new wips. Thank you for being the loveliest beta in the world. <3


	3. Struggling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long break between chapters! Blame all my other wips! I promise the next chapter will come sooner (and that's not even promising very much, since I last updated this over a month ago).

Rhett was sitting in a café with Maddy. She was drinking a huge, whipped cream topped atrocity and playing with the sugar packets on the table. She’d made Rhett taste her drink, saying it was the best thing ever invented, but to Rhett, it had tasted like pure sugar without even a hint of coffee. He didn’t dare say that, though. He just swallowed and smiled at her, thankful she didn’t offer more. Now he was sipping on his plain coffee that actually tasted like coffee, trying to figure out how to go about suggesting what he wanted to propose.

He’d tracked Maddy down through his class buddies. When Rhett appeared behind her dorm room door, she’d been visibly upset but softened quickly enough when he’d sheepishly explained that the reason he’d had to bail on her was because he was about to throw up.

“I was so nervous to talk to you, I drank too much. I’m really sorry,” Rhett had said, giving her his best impression of the sad, puppy face Link always did when he wanted Rhett to do something for him. The lie was embarrassing but less so than telling the truth. _Actually, I just wanted to go home and watch my best friend fuck his fist._ Maddy had accepted his apology and graciously agreed to go on a make-up date.

“I had a lot of fun on Saturday. Sorry again it ended like it did…” Rhett said with a small smile.

“It’s okay. I get it. I mean, we’re in college. Embarrassing drinking stories kind of come with the territory,” Maddy said, smiling brightly. She was a sweet girl. Precisely the kind of girl Rhett usually went for. He tried to not get too bothered by the fact that he didn't really feel that usual swoop in his stomach when she looked at him.

“True. But I still feel bad. I’m not usually that rude. Especially to girls as nice and pretty as you,” Rhett said with his best flirtatious voice. Despite the lackluster wording, it seemed to work. A faint blush rose to her cheeks.

“Stop it,” she said with a tinkly laugh. “I already said you’re forgiven. No need to flatter me.”

“I’m not. Just telling it like it is. You’re gorgeous.”

“Thanks. I was really sad when you bolted,” Maddy said, voice suddenly quiet and breathless. “I was really hoping to get to know you better. Alone, you know…”

Rhett’s pulse quickened. This was exactly what he was hoping to get to. Maddy’s hand was resting on the table. Rhett reached for it, and soon, his thumb was drawing small circles on the back of her hand. He could see the skin on her arm rising to goosebumps. He felt a rush of victory. _You still got it, McLaughlin!_

“Yeah?” Rhett asked, voice low and husky.

“Mm-hmm,” Maddy replied and batted her eyelashes.

“You…uh…maybe you’d like to give it another go? Maybe this weekend?” Rhett asked, heart thumping against his chest. Maddy moved her hand and intertwined their fingers. The blush on her cheeks deepened.

“I’d love to… I really would, but my roommate is here all weekend.” She sounded genuinely upset about it.

Rhett’s stomach sank. _Damn it!_ He needed this. He needed to re-wire his messed up brain. It had only been four days since Saturday, four days since the last time he’d seen Link come, and all he could think about was when it would happen again.

Link hadn’t said anything about Saturday, so Rhett hadn’t either. But he had noticed that in the past few days, Link had been hanging around their room mainly in his boxer briefs. Rhett had long ago grown used to Link’s shirtless form, as it was as hard to keep a shirt on Link as it was to keep Rhett from eating a bag of chips left unattended. Link without a shirt was normal. Link without pants, on the other hand, was pure torture.

Was Rhett not supposed to look at the outline of Link’s dick so clearly seen through the tight boxer briefs? Was he supposed to just ignore how the fabric clung to Link’s perfectly pert ass when he bent down to pick up something? He couldn’t. It was impossible. He needed to get back to normal. He needed to be able to look at Link and feel… neutral. Rhett was almost certain that getting in bed with Maddy would make that happen. 

“Could you ask her to go somewhere else for a while?” Rhett asked, feeling desperate.

“Not really. She doesn’t like me bringing guys into our room,” Maddy said, sounding faintly annoyed. Then her eyes whipped to Rhett’s and widened. “Not that I do that a lot! She’s just really prudish like that.”

“It’s not really my business who you bring to your room or how often you do that,” Rhett said casually, trying to ease her obvious panic. “I’ve always felt it’s ridiculous how differently society treats women and men when it comes to their sexual history. Such a double standard.”

Maddy’s shoulders relaxed, and she nodded vigorously.

“I know! It’s so sexist!” she exclaimed and smiled again. “I knew you were one of the good ones.”

“I think I could ask my roommate… Maybe I could convince him to give us some privacy,” Rhett said. Maddy’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah? That would be great. I really have to run now. Class starts soon. But you’ll let me know, right?” she asked, getting up and giving Rhett a quick peck on his lips.

“Oh, yeah, okay. I’ll let you know.”

He watched her walk away, her hips swaying probably more than they normally would. Rhett waited for his body to react. He even went as far as thinking about grabbing her waist and pressing his crotch against her soft and round ass. Nothing. Not even a twitch. _Fuck._

\---

Rhett stood behind their dorm room door and readied himself to open it. His stomach flipped as his mind conjured up an image of Link’s bare legs spread apart on the couch, his cock hard and glistening in his fist. He opened the door slowly, and immediately his mood sank. Link was fully clothed. Rhett tried to ignore the sting of disappointment. He threw his backpack on his bed and got a Coke out of their fridge.

Link was sitting on the couch, staring at the TV, his hand automatically reaching for the drink. Rhett shook his head, sighed, gave Link his can, and turned to get himself another one. He sat down on the other end of the couch, as far away from Link as possible.

“What are you watching?”

“I don’t even know. I had to stop reading for a moment. I was losing my mind,” Link said, rubbing his face with his free hand. He looked weary, his hair was mussed up like he’d been tugging on it, and his eyes were bloodshot and droopy. Rhett’s heart ached for his friend. He’d always been like that. He craved perfection when adequate would have been more than enough. 

“You’re gonna do fine. You always do,” Rhett said. He knew Link had a big exam coming up next week. Link grimaced and took a long swig of his drink. His head fell back, and his goozle bobbed up and down as he swallowed. Rhett’s eyes followed it, mesmerized. A droplet of brown liquid escaped from his lips and rolled down his chin onto his neck. Rhett imagined moving in, leaning down and licking it away. He imagined Link’s gasp and moan as Rhett’s teeth would sink gently into the tender flesh of his neck as he lapped up the sugary liquid. He would keep sucking on Link’s skin until a lovely little purple bruise would form on it. Rhett’s dick twitched at the thought of marking Link up like that – like he was Rhett’s.

“What are you staring at?” Link snapped. He was looking at Rhett, brows furrowed. Rhett shook his head a bit.

“Sorry. Nothing. Just got lost in my head.”

 _Don’t you dare blush now, you idiot!_ Rhett turned to look at the TV, hoping the glare of it would hide any trace of embarrassment. It was hard to concentrate on the flashing images when his brain was still focused on the possible taste on Link’s skin. _Maddy! Think of Maddy. Think of Friday._

“Hey…um, this Friday night?” Rhett started. _Better get this over with._

“Yeah?” Link muttered, eyes trained back on the TV.

“Could you maybe make yourself scarce for a few hours?”

Link turned to look at Rhett. Something flashed in his eyes.

“Why?” he asked, voice low and almost menacing.

“Just, you know. I – uh, I have someone coming over,” Rhett stammered as he leaned back like he was physically pushed by Link’s reaction.

“Really? Ugh. Are you serious, Rhett?” Link huffed and got up. He threw the remote on the coffee table with a loud clatter that made Rhett jump before marching up to his desk.

“What? Can’t you just go to the library for a while? You’re gonna be studying anyway,” Rhett said. He was surprised by Link’s reaction. He’d expected teasing and taunting, not anger.

“I can’t study in the library! It’s too quiet! You know this, I’ve told you!” Link’s voice was rising to the point of yelling. Rhett got up. He had no memory of that ever coming up, but it must be true. Why else would Link be so mad? He must have forgotten. _What kind of friend am I?_

“I’m sorry, I don’t… Yeah, I remember. Of course, I remember. You can borrow my Walkman. Listen to some music. That’ll help, yeah?”

Link groaned and slammed a book open on the desk.

“Sure, I’ll go since apparently, you getting your dick wet is more important than my grades,” Link spat out. Rhett drew a sharp breath. They didn’t talk to each other like this. They didn’t fight like this. 

“Hey, come on, man. It’s not like that. I’d do it for you too,” Rhett tried to reason with him.

“I already said I’d go! Leave me alone. I need to study.”

“Link…” Rhett pleaded. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his eyes were prickling. Was he about to cry? He didn’t cry. He hadn’t in years. Rhett breathed through his nose and fought the tears. He didn’t understand. Why was Link so mad about this?

“Rhett, just go away,” Link said quietly. His voice cracked. Rhett bit his lip and grabbed his backpack.

“Okay, I’ll leave you be. Coming back later.”

“Whatever,” Link said, voice void of emotions. Rhett left the room in a hurry. He hadn’t really anywhere to go, so he just wandered around campus until the piercing pain in his chest lessened into a dull ache.

\---

Later that night, when Rhett snuck back into their room, the lights were off, and there was a Link-sized mound on the top bunk. Rhett grabbed his shower caddy and went to wash up and brush his teeth. Soon, he was silently slipping between his covers, trying not to jostle the bed too much. He tried to settle into a good enough position, but it was like his skin was too tight around his muscles. It was impossible to relax. After a little while of moving around, a sigh from the top bunk startled him.

“Link?” he whispered, quiet enough to not wake him if he was sleeping.

“Hey, Rhett,” Link answered as quietly even though it wasn’t necessary.

“Did I wake you up?”

“No.”

“Oh, okay. Good,” Rhett said. He listened to Link’s slow breathing and settled on his back. He could hear Link turning too and imagined him lying on his back as well, staring into the ceiling. He lifted his hand and touched the bottom of Link’s bed with his fingertips. He wanted to say something, something to break the tension between them; something to make things normal again.

“I’m sorry,” Link’s small voice pierced the silence. Rhett’s heart skipped a beat.

“You don’t have to apologize!” Rhett said quickly. The relief crashing through him was almost euphoric.

“No, I definitely do. That was totally uncalled for. I’m sorry I freaked out like that. I don’t even really know why. I’ve just been so on edge lately. The classes are harder than I thought. I feel like I’m barely getting by, and it’s killing me… But I shouldn’t be taking it out on you. I’m sorry. I don’t want us to fight.”

“It’s okay. Really. I saw you were struggling, and I should’ve waited to ask…”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I don’t want us to fight either.”

“Good.” Link sighed before continuing. “And I’ll figure something out for Friday. Maybe I’ll get a date of my own.”

The impact of Link’s words was instant. Rhett ground his teeth together hard enough that they made a crunching sound. An image of the blonde girl from the party kneeling in front of Link as Link’s head was whipped back in pleasure filled his mind. Rhett felt nauseous and angry – not at Link, he had no business being mad at Link. He was angry at himself, at his messed up brain that made him jealous of his best friend.

“Sounds good. And it’s just for a few hours,” he reminded Link, just to say something.

Link’s sudden laughter made Rhett jump.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“You really think pretty highly of yourself if you think you’re gonna need a few hours for that.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Rhett muttered, cheeks reddening in the cover of darkness. Link was still giggling.

“No, it’s good. A few hours is perfect for some McLaughlin lovin’…that AND a dinner and a movie.”

“It’s not about the time it takes, it’s about the state I leave ‘em in,” Rhett said cockily.

“And what is that? Frustrated?” Link asked and howled with laughter.

“Ha, ha! I haven’t had any complaints so far. I could…” Rhett managed to snap his mouth shut before the rest of the sentence slipped out. It still echoed in his head: _…wreck you if you’d let me._

“You could what?” Link asked curiously.

“I could give you some pointers, but I don’t think they would help in your case.”

“I’m sure your pointers would be pure gold, Mr. Casanova,” Link chuckled. The bed moved as he turned. Rhett huffed but didn’t reply anymore. Silence fell between them. Rhett was just about to fall asleep when Link’s voice sounded again.

“Hey, Rhett?”

“Yeah.”

The bed creaked and shook from side to side. In the dim light, Rhett could see a messy head of hair and two eyes appearing over the edge. Then a hand dropped down. Link’s fingers were wrapped in a fist except for his pinky. It was an old gesture, one they hadn’t used in years, something they’d done as kids after they’d been fighting over something ridiculous. Warmth started from Rhett’s extremities and spread all over his body. He felt like floating.

“Friends forever?” Link whispered.

Rhett held out his own pinky and wrapped it around Link’s. They shook hands.

“Forever friends,” Rhett replied.

He couldn’t see Link’s smile, but his eyes gave it away. Rhett felt light-headed and giddy. Link disappeared from view, and Rhett was left laying in his bubble of warmth and love. His heart was going haywire.

“Good night, Rhett,” came a drowsy murmur form above.

“Good night, Link,” Rhett muttered back while trying to figure out how he could ever get to sleep with his wildly thumping heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Mick for betaing and dealing with my angsty shit. ^^ I love you!


	4. Confused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeaaah, please forgive me for I have sinned (and abandoned this lovely fic for way too long again). I won't make any promises this time but I'm actually pretty excited about the next few chapters so I might be compelled to write them soon.

It was normal to be nervous. Right? It had been a while since Rhett’s last hook-up. And Maddy was obviously a very nice girl; someone Rhett could see himself with in the long run. He didn’t want to mess this up again. So, when she knocked on their dorm room door, it was only logical that Rhett jumped and was suddenly drenched in sweat.

Link had left a mere ten minutes ago with a stack of books and Rhett’s Walkman. Before going, he’d glanced at Rhett and asked:

“That’s what you’re wearing?”

Rhett had looked down at himself and then back at Link, a tad confused. It was jeans and a black t-shirt. He thought he looked good.

“Yeah. Why? Something wrong with it?”

“Oh, no. Just… You look so much better in the green tee,” Link mumbled, and before Rhett could form a coherent reply, he had slipped out of the room.

Rhett had stared at the spot Link had left vacant with a slack jaw and strange fluttery feeling in his gut. But it had to be his nerves, the fact that Maddy was almost there.

Rhett had changed into the green shirt.

Now he bounded to the door and opened it with a quick yank. Maddy was standing in the hallway, cute as ever. She was wearing a white-and-blue summer dress that hugged her curves in a way that was sure to make almost any man weak at the knees. Her untied hair was in soft curls, and she was smiling shyly.

“Hi,” she said and bit her lip. Rhett smiled nervously, his own lips twitching, and made room for her to step inside.

“Hey. You’re right on time,” he said for some reason, like that mattered. Like it was a thing he appreciated. He wouldn’t have cared if she was an hour late. He just wanted to get laid and exorcise the demon that was Link.

“Yeah. Is that… um… okay?” she asked, slightly confused, and stepped in. Her gaze swept around the room curiously, and for once, Rhett was glad that Link was such a neat freak. It had taken only a few minutes to get the room into a presentable state.

“No! I – I don’t know why I said that” he confessed with an awkward laugh. Maddy turned to look at him.

“Nervous?” she asked with a soft smile.

“Honestly? Yeah, a bit. Sorry,” Rhett said and rubbed his neck. Being honest seemed to be the right tactic; her smile widened, and her eyes shined mischievously.

“That’s actually kind of hot,” she said with a slow purr and stepped towards Rhett. “I like a guy that can be vulnerable.”

Rhett smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

“You look really pretty,” he whispered and watched her cheeks flush pink.

“Thanks. I really like this color on you,” she said and rubbed Rhett’s shirt collar between her fingers.

_Link does too._

And then it hit him: Link actually paid attention to what Rhett wore and had formed an opinion on what he liked best – what he thought Rhett looked good in. How had Rhett not noticed that? Was that normal friend's stuff? Did _he_ look at Link like that...? 

Rhett was surprised to realize he did. He could instantly imagine Link in that tight white t-shirt that clung to his shoulders and perfectly complimented his tanned skin. But that was normal, right? It didn’t mean anything. He was just noting objectively that Link looked good in that.

Maddy had said something. Rhett pulled himself out of his panic and trained his eyes on hers.

“Sorry, what?”

“Was just asking if you wanna continue from where we left off?” she said with a soft smirk. Rhett should’ve felt that swoop in his stomach that usually preceded getting frisky, but all he felt was that lingering panic. He swallowed and forced a smile.

“Yeah.”

They moved to the couch, and without any preamble, Maddy climbed on Rhett’s lap. Their lips met, and Rhett grabbed onto her tiny waist. She was soft and eager, and after a little while, she took Rhett’s hand and moved it to her chest. Rhett obeyed and groped her in a way he hoped would be pleasurable. She let out a small moan, and Rhett was pleased with himself.

Her hands trailed down Rhett’s chest and stomach and slipped under his tee. Rhett tried to concentrate on her touch. She’d moved to kiss his neck, and honestly, it should have been perfect; it was hot and sweet and exciting. Except it wasn’t.

Rhett felt awkward and squirmy. Usually, when a girl even looked at him suggestively, he immediately got hard. But now he had a willing participant actively touching him, and he couldn’t manage even a semi.

Maddy’s fingers were dancing on his skin, drawing little swirls on it as she moved down. In no time at all, her fingers were grazing Rhett’s belly just above his waistband. Rhett froze. 

_No, no, no!_

Without thinking about what he was doing, Rhett jerked and pulled her hands away. She straightened her back and looked at him questioningly.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah!” Rhett answered too loudly. He coughed and tried to even out the tremble in his voice. “I mean, yeah. I just… should we move to the bed?”

Maddy’s eyes lit up. She jumped off of Rhett and offered him a hand. Rhett scrambled up from the couch and followed her to the bed.

“I hope the bottom bunk is yours,” she said with a giggle. Rhett laughed and nodded.

“It is.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t have climbed up there with you even if it wasn’t, but it would have been a bit rude to chase your roommate away and then fool around in his bed.”

Rhett’s face flushed. He wondered how Link would feel about that. Would he care if Rhett kissed a girl in his bed? Probably not. Unless they made a mess. Because if Link brought a girl here and got on Rhett’s bed with her, Rhett wouldn’t care. Friends didn’t care about that kind of stuff. He definitely wouldn’t care. That heavy feeling in his chest meant nothing.

Maddy rose up on her tippy toes and gave him a quick kiss.

“You’re really cute. Did I tell you that already?”

“No,” Rhett said, and his blush deepened. She was so sweet. And beautiful. And seemed like a fun person. Maddy was exactly Rhett’s type. So, why wasn’t Rhett feeling anything?

_I’m just not trying hard enough._

Rhett wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips onto her neck. She made tiny giggles and little moans as Rhett trailed feathery kisses down and then back up to her mouth. This kiss was deep and hungry; Maddy’s tongue swirled around his as Rhett’s hands slipped under her dress and felt the smoothness of the backs of her thighs.

They fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, and Rhett tried to concentrate on the feel of her body against him. She was tugging on his shirt, and soon it was thrown on the floor. Her hands were immediately all over Rhett’s chest and stomach. But Rhett couldn’t concentrate on her. He was haunted by an image – a memory so fresh and crisp it was like it had happened only seconds ago.

_Link was right here, sprawled on my bed, shirtless, with his pants pulled down, with his cock in his hand. Link was here and touched himself._

Maddy was wriggling out of her dress and Rhett should have been excited; he should’ve been touching her. There were a hundred things he should’ve been, but he was none of those things. Instead, he was wrapped up in how Link’s body arched when he came. 

For a moment, all Rhett could think of was Link and the way his soft, plump lips parted as his pleasure spilled over. He wasn’t paying attention to what Maddy was doing until he was jolted back to reality by her quiet and surprised ‘oh’. 

Rhett’s blood ran cold. Her hand was between his legs. On his very much uninterested dick. She was biting her lip and looking at Rhett with slight hurt.

Rhett slammed his hands over his face and groaned. This was _not_ what was supposed to happen. Everything about this was wrong. He was supposed to wow her, supposed make her moan and fuck her so good that there would be no space for Link in his head anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. His throat was closing, and he felt his eyes welling with tears. _Fuck. I’m not gonna cry! I refuse to cry over this._

“Hey,” Maddy whispered. She shifted on the bed, and Rhett peeked from between his fingers. She’d pulled her dress back on and was sitting with her back against the wall, hands wrapped around her propped-up knees.

“It’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it, okay?” she said, looking at Rhett with a soft, empathetic gaze that just made Rhett tear up even more. He hid again and swallowed down a sob.

“No, it’s not okay. Nothing about this is okay. It’s not you! You’re great. Gorgeous and sweet and so, so sexy. It’s just…” Rhett sighed, trying to find the right words. How could he explain this to her?

“Ah. I see. There’s someone else,” Maddy said, and Rhett’s hands dropped. His mouth hung open, and he sniffled. Maddy had her lips pulled to a knowing smile.

“Ho– how did you…?” Rhett stammered. 

“Oh, honey. Now that I think about it, it’s so obvious. I should have realized sooner that you have feelings for someone else.”

“Wait, what?” Rhett asked, flabbergasted, and pulled himself up. He shimmied next to her and slumped against the wall feeling thoroughly exhausted. And honestly, a tiny bit relieved. He’d been so wrapped up on his plan to get rid of his obsessive thoughts that he’d totally ignored that nagging voice at the back of his mind that was telling him that he shouldn’t be treating Maddy like that; like she was a prop in his life. 

“Yeah. So, don’t worry. God knows I’ve been there.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Who is it? You can tell me. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“No, I – I can’t… It’s complicated,” Rhett muttered. He couldn’t tell. No one could know. She’d probably be disgusted with him. 

“She taken?” Maddy asked. 

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“I – “ Rhett started and paused. He couldn’t say it out loud. But it would feel so good to talk with someone. Maybe he could tell a little bit. “It’s not even that. I’m not like – I don’t like them like that. It’s more like this weird obsession.”

Rhett glanced at Maddy. She didn’t seem to pay any attention to his pronoun choice. She just laughed.

“Obsession? I hate to break this to you, but it kind of sounds like you're in love with this person.”

“Am not!” Rhett huffed indignantly and crossed his arms across his chest. _Ridiculous. Obviously, he loved Link but not like_ that.

“Oh, yeah? Do you think about her the first thing you wake up?”

“I – no…” 

_Yes._

“Mm-hmm. You think about her during the day? Like… Can the strangest little thing make you think about her and smile?”

“Well… It’s not… I mean...” Rhett stuttered. _How does she know?_

Everything reminded him of Link. But that was just the by-product of their long history as best friends. Wasn’t it? It didn’t mean anything. 

“And when you go to sleep, she’s the last thing you think about, right? And it kind of hurts but not really. It’s like a good hurt, you know?”

Rhett stared at her. How had she managed to do that? How had she managed to put into words a feeling that had haunted Rhett for years? 

“Fuck,” Rhett muttered and buried his face into his palms again. His whole body was trembling. Her hand settled on his bare shoulder and squeezed gently.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you love her.”

She deserved to know. Rhett had used her, unsuccessfully, but still with no regard to her feelings. She deserved to know the truth. And a part of Rhett desperately needed to tell someone, _anyone_. He took a deep, ragged breath and whispered, “It’s not a her.”

Maddy silenced for a beat. Then she leaned towards Rhett and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders.

“That’s fine. Hey, Rhett, listen to me. That’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re so brave. Thank you. For telling me.” 

Her kindness was too much. The tears that had been building a thin film over Rhett’s eyes pooled and overflowed. His shoulders shook from the sobs. Maddy just hugged him, her chin propped up on his shoulder as she whispered hushed affirmations into his ear.

They sat like that for a good long while before Rhett finally gathered himself and lifted his face from his hands. Maddy moved swiftly to brush away the tears from his face. She was smiling sympathetically.

“You feel any better?” she asked. Rhett paused to think and realized that he did. He nodded and lifted a corner of his mouth into a tiniest of smiles. 

“You wanna tell me about him?” Maddy asked quietly.

Rhett’s head thudded against the wall, and he sighed. He felt – lighter.

“Yeah. I do.”


	5. Roused

A few hours later there was a knock on the door. Rhett and Maddy still sat on Rhett’s bed, shoulder to shoulder. The door opened slowly, and Link’s voice sounded from the hallway.

“I’m coming in! I hope everyone’s decent.”

Maddy giggled and glanced at Rhett’s bare chest. Rhett jumped up from the bed and grabbed his discarded shirt from the floor. Link stepped in as Rhett was pulling it on. Link stopped at the door, hand still on the knob.

“Hey,” Link said to no one in particular, but Maddy seemed to take it as a cue for introductions. She crawled out of bed and walked up to him.

“Hi. I think we met at the party last week? I’m Maddy,” she introduced herself and offered her hand. Link glanced at it and then at Rhett. He wore an expression Rhett couldn’t decipher - a mix of annoyance and curiosity. Rhett had to avert his eyes. Could Maddy tell that Link was the guy Rhett had been talking about?

“Yeah. I remember,” Link said slowly and took her hand.

Rhett shuffled his feet and felt the awkwardness of the situation acutely in his tight stomach.

“Well, I should get going,” Maddy said after a beat of silence. She turned on her heels, stepped up to Rhett, and hugged him tight. It was a friendly hug, and Rhett welcomed it gladly by wrapping his arms around her. He mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ into her ear. Maddy lifted her face to look him in the eyes, scrunched her nose in a way that would have usually made Rhett fall for her, and said:

“I had a nice time. Coffee next week?”

“Definitely.”

Maddy smiled brightly and left the room with a quick “bye”. Link watched her go before closing the door. Rhett busied himself with a bowl of cereal. Link was still standing at the door, staring at him.

“So, I gather you had fun?” he said after a while. The sharp edge of his words made Rhett cringe. Was Link still mad at Rhett for asking him to leave?

“Yeah. She’s great,” Rhett mumbled, mouth filled with sugary goodness that he suddenly had no taste for. He could have told Link nothing had happened. But what good would that do? He’d already forced him out of their room. If he said that, the whole thing was for nothing… Link would be pissed, right?

Rhett sat on the couch and attacked the contents of the bowl with intense concentration. Link dropped his books on his desk and went to make himself a bowl as well. He sat next to Rhett, and they ate in silence.

It was not uncommon for them. They’d been friends since they were six; there were bound to be instances when they just sat quietly together. But this time it felt different. There was something heavy lingering in the air between them.

“I’m gonna go and shower,” Rhett said after finishing his bowl. He didn’t need a shower per se, but he felt like escaping the stifling silence. Link just nodded absentmindedly and turned on the TV.

The hot water streaming over Rhett’s shoulders helped to ease the tension a bit. He stood under the shower and breathed deep. Maddy had been great; kind and understanding and sweet. She’d listened to Rhett talk about a friend he suddenly saw in a different light, and with some perfectly worded questions from her, Rhett had started to realize that what he felt for Link was actually not a recent development.

_But I can’t be in love with him. I just… can’t! He’s my best friend. I mean, yes, he’s… he’s everything to me. But I don’t want to be with him like that. Right?_

Rhett’s mind was going in circles. He imagined marching back to the room and announcing to Link that he was in love with him. The thought made him burst into hollow laughter.

_Ridiculous. Even if I could make Link believe I wasn’t pulling some kind of a weird prank on him… He would be disgusted, wouldn’t he? And our friendship would be over. There’s no coming back from something that big._

Rhett stepped out of the shower with a renewed sense of purpose. He was going to take these feelings he had for Link and bury them somewhere deep inside his mind and let them gather dust. Link was his best friend, and that was enough.

_More than enough._

\---

But as Rhett lay in his bed later that night and heard the quiet but unmistakable groan from the upper bunk, it was tough to keep his feelings in check.

He now knew what Link sounded like when he was pleasuring himself. There was no doubt in his mind that Link was, in fact, jerking it right above him. Rhett’s cock twitched to life in his boxers.

_Should I say something?_

Rhett had been having trouble falling asleep, his mind racing despite his resolve not to think about anything even remotely connected to Link. Maybe Link had waited this long to make sure Rhett was asleep. That indicated that for once, he wanted to do this without a witness. Rhett tried to ignore the sting his deduction caused him.

There was another groan from up above, and the bed shifted and creaked. Rhett slowly drew the pillow out from under his head and pressed it around his ears. He didn’t want to listen. Not only did it seem like a breach of privacy, it was also making him harder and harder by the second.

_Please, be quick._

But it was impossible not to feel the rhythmic shifting of the bed frame. No amount of pillow could stop that, and Rhett’s senses heightened despite himself. Either Link was panting heavy enough to be heard through Rhett’s makeshift earmuffs or Rhett was simply imagining it with vivid detail.

What he definitely was imagining, was Link stroking himself with reckless abandon. His cock glistening with his own spit as he fucked his fist. His back arching into the pleasure as his eyes closed tight. His toes beginning to curl as he neared his orgasm.

The pillow dropped away as Rhett’s hand shot onto his own cock. He was aching, already wet in his boxers and had to bite hard on his bottom lip not to moan out loud when he palmed himself roughly.

Now that the pillow had been abandoned, Rhett could hear that Link was panting. The sound was low and ragged, and once in a while, he’d let out a tiny whimper that sent shivers down Rhett’s spine.

Rhett had lost the fight with himself the moment his hand slipped under his waistband. He dug his cock free of its confines. His whole body was buzzing with nervous energy and need. His mind zeroed into one objective – the only thing he suddenly needed more than anything – he needed to come with Link.

Link had a head start on him, but what Link didn’t have was his own, personalized audio track of porn.

Rhett quickly lifted his palm to his mouth and silently spat on it before returning it around his throbbing erection. His fist was tight and wet, and he thrust into it, imagining how Link looked on the top bunk. Hair messy, eyes glossy, mouth opened to a silent scream. _Fucking perfect._

Rhett’s mind wandered, and spurred by the tiny sounds of pleasure from above, he imagined Link in his bed. Link lying next to him, eyes trained on Rhett’s in the dim light of the room. Pleading him with his gaze and Rhett answering the wordless request by moving down. What would that be like? Could he do it? Could he take Link into his mouth and make him moan louder than he did when he was touching himself?

Rhett created the visual in his mind but felt it lacking. In a desperate need to simulate the feeling, he stuck a few fingers of his free hand into his mouth and sucked on them with purpose. It was good that he had something to bite on to quell his groan because his orgasm attacked him instantly and with surprising force. He came all over himself with stuttering hips and jerky tugs.

His head was spinning; the world around him swayed and tilted and for a moment, Rhett wondered if it was possible to faint from coming too hard. Finally, the room had mercy on him and stopped rocking. Rhett tried to get his breathing under control.

It was quiet. Too quiet, Rhett suddenly realized.

_Did he come? Did I miss it?_

Rhett moved slowly and relieved himself of his shirt which he then promptly used to clean himself up before tugging his limp dick back into his underwear. Link wasn’t moving anymore; it almost seemed like he wasn’t breathing anymore, either.

The post-orgasm high morphed into pure dread inside Rhett’s mind.

_Did he hear me?_

Rhett kept counting his heartbeats and waited. Finally, a quiet snoring filled the room; Link had fallen asleep. Rhett still didn’t know what had happened. Was he caught?

The night offered no sleep for Rhett’s tired mind and the morning came fast and unyielding leagues before Rhett had managed to convince himself that Link hadn’t heard a thing.


End file.
